There are so many options for lodging on your trip: resorts, hotels, hostels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, cabins, campsites, friends houses, and so much more. But one of my favorites is Airbnb. There are a few other vacation rental companies like VRBO (pronounced VERB-oh), but Airbnb reigns supreme in my book. Here are the things I look for to find the best ones around the globe.
Uniqueness
Airbnb often sends emails with lists of interesting options. I always skim through it and save listings that look neat, even if I don’t have a trip planned to that destination any time soon. You can book treehouses, underground hobbit holes, shipping containers, train cars, grain silos, houseboats, tiny houses, and forts. I’ve even stayed in this boat, this rotating house, and an artist commune. I’ll take one of these weird spots over a generic chain hotel any day!
Cancellation Flexibility
Especially with COVID-19 changing our plans daily, it’s nice to have peace of mind that you can cancel or change your lodging if you need to. Almost all listings allow changes within 48 hours of booking, but I prefer the ones that allow me to make changes for free up until 48 hours before check in.
Self Check In
Some people want a tour of the home when they arrive and that’s lovely, but I personally do not need to be shown around. I had one woman show me every light switch in the home. I expect that the hosts leave detailed written instructions if something isn’t obvious, but I’ve been perfectly fine operating appliances in a foreign language and connecting myself to wifi without the assistance of the homeowner. Self check in via a lock box or door code can give you a little more flexibility to arrive on your own time. If you need to meet the host, you often have to arrange a time to meet up. Sometimes there is a good pit stop on your way in, or dinner takes longer than you think and I would hate to be late for check in.
Beds for Everyone
Bedrooms and beds can be a little misleading in listings. Some will say they sleep five but it’s really only a one bedroom with a queen bed, plus one person on a sofa and two on an air mattress. You should take into account your group dynamics and make sure you scour the photos for all of the beds you’ll need. I’ve seen some listings that have four pairs of full bunk beds and will say that it sleeps 16. In what world?! I’m not running a summer camp over here. I also accidentally rented a place in New Orleans where you had to walk through the second bedroom to get to the third. Luckily we were all close, but that could have been awkward.
Kitchen
This may depend on your needs. Is a microwave and a mini fridge okay for your trip or do you need a full chef’s set up? Don’t make assumptions about what is available to you.
Wifi
Speaking of assumptions… I once didn’t check the filter for wifi and accidentally booked a place with no internet. The listing didn’t mention that it was purposefully an off-grid retreat and I just missed that detail. We were in the middle of nowhere and there were other things wrong with the listing so we ended up bailing and staying at a nearby hotel, but the lack of wifi was my own fault.
Heating and Air Conditioning
You might also be surprised that some places don’t have heating or air conditioning. They simply don’t need it most of the time. The Pacific Northwest for example rarely needs AC, but lately this summer, they have been experiencing extreme heat waves that could make your trip a lot less enjoyable if you’re sweating through your pajamas each night. The same is true for tropical locales and heat. My little apartment in San Francisco had a six by eight inch space heater for the whole place. We just didn’t need it 95% of the time. However if you need those things or are visiting during one of those rare times when you do need it, you should filter for that. Many more rural or rustic listings also won’t have these luxuries.
Parking/Public Transit
If you are driving at all, you’ll want to investigate the parking situation. I would hate for you to arrive only to discover that you have to pay four Euros per hour for street parking. On the other hand, if you are planning on taking public transportation to restaurants and museums but you find that you are 20 minutes from the nearest train station, you may be shelling out big for Lyft or cab rides.
I have so many fun Airbnbs saved and would love to help you find the next perfect home base for your trip.